This invention relates to a novel acrylic fiber usable for clothing and to a process for producing the same. The acrylic fiber according to this invention has improved dyeing property and hygroscopic property with regard to use for clothing. The acrylic fiber is also useful as a primary amino group-containing functional fiber and can be used for ion-exchange, chelating, deodorization, disinfection, fixing of enzymes, or the like.
It has been known that fibers produced by spinning copolymers of amide group-containing monomers and acrylonitrile monomers have good hygroscopic property and dyeing property suited for clothing (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (Kokai) No. 110,920/74). However, such fibers are poor in thermal stability and shrink too much, in particular, in cases where N-substituted acrylamides are contained therein.
It has also been known that primary amino group-containing fibers usable for ion-exchange, chelating, deodorization, disinfection, fixing of enzymes or the like can be produced, e.g., by the aminomethylation of polystyrenes.
It is an object of this invention to provide an acrylic fiber which shrinks less, has improved hygroscopic and dyeing properties and, at the same time, possesses other advantageous properties characteristic of acrylic fibers. It is another object of this invention to provide a primary amino group-containing acrylic fibers useful for ion-exchange, chelating, deodorization, disinfection, fixing of enzymes, or the like.